I'm loving all the reviews with people begging me not to kill Chris! No spoilers, you'll just have to read to find out what happens!

On another note – how much of a sin is it that I wore my Starfleet Academy sweatshirt when I went to see Rogue One?

And just another reminder: this definitely diverges from canon. The overall storyline is similar, but a lot of the facts are very different from the movie.

Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek

Jon informed them of the situation as he was aware of it, on the trip back. He opened up the throttle to get them there as quickly as possible, since the Admiralty had convened an Officers meeting, where all Captains and First Officers currently docked at Earth would meet to discuss the attack and determine what actions to take next.

When they arrived, Carol and Chris promised to take care of the luggage for everyone else, and would meet them after the meeting. Of the two friends Shay had invited to the wedding, her First Officer Commander Wheeler joined the group headed to Cochrane Hall, while Lieutenant Commander Mycroft headed back to her apartment, after promising to keep what she knew a secret – no one wanted any information getting out before the Admiralty could decide on a course of action.

When the group entered the meeting room at Cochrane, they could see that they were the last ones to arrive. Admiral Marcus was seated at whatever could count for the head of a round table, and the other Captains and First Officers were either seated or standing around talking with each other.

As soon as he saw that Jon and Richard were there, Marcus got everyone's attention, and those who had been standing took their seats as the room came to order

Each officer had a PADD that they were able to use to follow along as Marcus informed them of what Intelligence had gathered. "Approximately three hours ago, this man set off a series of explosives that leveled the Kelvin Memorial Archive in London and killed himself along with at least forty-two other officers. Casualties are still being tallied," the Admiral said, his voice dispassionate and factual. The image on the PADD was a middle aged African American man. "Lieutenant Kolchek, he worked in the Archives for ten years, not a single black mark on his record until today. We believe that he was coerced; unfortunately, we can't ask him." He swiped across the screen of his own PADD, and everyone else's changed. "Intelligence suggests that this man may be the mastermind behind the attack." Another headshot appeared on the screen. This time it was a Caucasian man, late twenties to early thirties in appearance. His eyes stared up coldly from the screen.

Marcus allowed himself a small sigh. "John Harrison. Former Starfleet, dishonorably discharged for bad conduct eighteen months ago."

Jim listened to the information with half an ear, most of his attention focused on the PADD, which had more detail of the attack, the casualties, and the damage that it had caused, than Marcus was telling them – understandable, since the report would take more time than they really had to go over completely. But he was confused. Why the Archives? It just didn't make sense. He leaned over to Jon, who was seated next to him, and murmured, "Does something about this not add up to you?"

Jon glanced back at him, raising an eyebrow. "What's going on in that genius head of yours?"

Marcus stopped talking midsentence and glanced at them. "Everything all right over there, gentlemen?"

Jon turned to him and shrugged, not cowed by his colleague's disapproving glare. "Just discussing theories."

Marcus turned his attention to Jim and pursed his lips. "You got something to say, Kirk, don't hold back."

Not for the first time, Jim was glad this man didn't know he was dating his daughter. He'd hate to think of the trouble Marcus could cause for him if he had a reason to. He already got the feeling the man didn't like him.

With a small nod, Jim straightened in his seat. "I'm sorry sir, it's just… the Archives? The motives don't really add up, if he wanted to make a statement. Bombing the archives is like bombing a library. Why bother?"

Jon and Richard shared a covert look, knowing the rumors that Starfleet Intelligence, also referred to as Section 31, was based under the Kelvin Memorial Archives. No one could confirm that, but they were willing to bet, especially after today, that those rumors bore some fruit. Which might suggest that Harrison's motives weren't so cut and dry as a simple act against the organization he used to work for.

Jim glanced at the information on his PADD again, and then looked back up, his gaze scanning the officers around him. "Protocol is very clear in situations like this. Senior Captains and First Officers gather to confer… here." He cut off and looked at Jon, his eyes conveying the seriousness of the situation.

Jon was on his feet half a second later, calling for air support, even as the world seemed to explode around them.

Jim picked himself up off the floor, shaking his head to try and get rid of the ringing in his ears. On one side, Spock was also getting himself back into a standing position. Jon was still down, but he was moving and his eyes were open, so Jim tried not to worry too much.

All around him, officers were scattered, either on the ground or standing back up, pulling out weapons and attempting to figure out what was going on.

Jim turned to the now empty space where the floor-to-ceiling window used to be. There was a ship out there, firing on their conference room with what seemed like full enthusiasm but little real skill. Whoever was inside didn't appear to be aiming at anything in particular.

But he was causing serious damage. The room was taking the full brunt of the attack, as most people had stooped low to avoid getting shot.

Jim took all this in even as he was pulling out his own phaser and attempting to get a clear shot. His heart skittered out a painful thump as he heard a loud crack, right before a large beam began to tip. And underneath…

Shay was kneeling next to a still form, checking a downed officer's pulse or trying to shield him, Jim wasn't sure. But she was completely unaware of the danger she was in.

Jim wasted no time in launching himself off of the wall he had taken cover behind, and it seemed like barely a split second had passed before he was across the room and shoving her out of the way, right as the beam crashed to the floor.

Shay picked herself up shakily, offering Jim a hand when he took a moment too long to rise, himself. "Thanks," she said tightly, the look in her eyes grateful, but there was no time to talk properly, as the ship was still firing.

Jim nodded a reply, but he was already moving, trying to flank the ship. They had to take it out of commission.

A cabinet to one side held weapons, and a quick override code – if anyone asked, he most certainly did not know Jon's code, and if he did, he would never actually use it! – later, and the door was open. He pulled out a long-range phaser before breaking the glass that held the fire hose and tying a quick knot around the weapon.

He moved to the broken window, uncoiling the hose quickly. Taking careful aim, he enacted his hastily devised plan. He might have had a killer headache, the world might still be exploding around him, but Jim knew how to aim. The weapon hit the ship's turbine, and was sucked in.

A moment later, it was listing to one side as it began a rapid descent. Fortunately, the ground below was clear, people having enough sense to run away from the unknown ship firing on a Starfleet building.

Jim sagged wearily, but didn't let himself collapse. There was still work to be done, so he forced himself to push down the aches and pains, and went back to see what the situation was in the conference room.

Spock was at his side the moment he reappeared, his eyes questioning, but he didn't say anything out loud. Jim nodded slightly, and that seemed to be enough for the Vulcan, who immediately began assisting him as he started to triage other officers.

Chris was in the room by now, helping Jon to sit up; the older Admiral had a large gash on his head and his arm appeared to be broken, but he was alert and already trying to get his friend to stop fussing. Nearby, Shay and Richard were working together to drag a Captain out of the rubble.

Chris met his gaze grimly over Jon's head. "Lieutenant Wallace is outside," he said quietly. "I think I saw McCoy too, on the way up. There appeared to be a lot of wounded, but I'm not sure what the total damage is."

Jim nodded, but didn't reply, turning to focus completely on the task of getting the injured stabilized until they could be taken to Starfleet Medical, and determining just how bad the situation was.

XXX

It was hours later that they finished in the conference room. The badly injured had been removed to the hospital, and the cleanup crew was already working on getting the rubble cleared out and the room restored.

Everyone was exhausted as Marcus told them all to go home and get some rest, and wait for further instruction. They would figure out what was going on, and determine what to do once they had some idea, but there was no point in staying when they needed their rest.

It could have been worse. All told, they had lost three Captains and a First Officer. Jim had recognized Captain Halloway from the Seymour, and though he hadn't liked the man who had tried to push him way too hard to share information about Tarsus on that trip back to Earth, he certainly didn't want the man dead. Captains Abbott from the Aldrin and Amasov from the Endeavor had also been killed, as had Lieutenant Commander Hill from the Lexington.

There were many more injuries, but nothing permanent. Outside, it seemed like the injuries were more widespread, but only one death.

Shay waited until they were out of the conference room before she grasped Jim in a tight hug. "Thank you," she murmured.

Jim nodded jerkily, returning the hug willingly. Chris rested a hand briefly on Jim's shoulder, offering his own gratitude for Jim's actions, along with the relief that the kid was not seriously hurt.

Outside looked nearly as bad as the room they had just left. There was glass and rubble scattered everywhere, and people picking their way through the mess, helping to clean up, or searching for any more survivors.

Carol threw herself into a surprised Jim's arms the moment he stepped out of the building, managing to contain her sobs, but unable to completely hide the trembling in her shoulders.

Jim just rubbed her back soothingly until she pulled back, wiping her eyes with one hand, the other remaining firmly clasped around his arm. "I'm fine," he promised, smiling reassuringly.

Carol nodded jerkily, before McCoy interrupted. His expression conveyed his annoyance for the situation, but there was a clear definition of relief in his eyes, as he carefully looked his idiotic best friend over to see if there were any visible injuries.

Jim rolled his eyes, knowing what the man was doing, but chose not to say anything about it. "Joanna?" he asked, instead.

McCoy's scowl deepened. "Childcare center," he replied brusquely. "As soon as we heard what was happening here I took her over, and came to help out."

Jim nodded slightly. "Injuries?" he queried, his voice soft.

McCoy let out a deep sigh. "Roughly three dozen minor to moderate. Around half a dozen serious, and based on the reports from the hospital so far, at least two of those might not make it. But it could have been much worse. Whatever was going on seemed more centered around your location, than outside."

Jim nodded again, glancing up at the destroyed top half of the building. "No point in sticking around for now," he said, turning back to the doctor. Chris and Shay had already left, so it was just them and Carol. "You need to stay?"

McCoy shook his head. "Not much left to do. Everyone injured has already been taken away. We were doing a last sweep when you got here."

Jim smiled tightly, his eyes wandering around the rubble surrounding them, keen eyes lighting on the various teams digging through the rocks and glass. "Go get Joanna then, and get some rest. Whatever's going on, it's not over yet."

The doctor nodded grimly. "You should check in at Starfleet Medical."

Jim shook his head slightly. "I'm fine, Bones."

McCoy scowled. "Just because you can deal with all kinds of pain doesn't mean there's nothing wrong. Humor me."

Jim rolled his eyes exasperatedly. "Tomorrow. Right now I just want to sleep."

McCoy didn't look thrilled, but he nodded, and with a jerky wave, headed off towards the childcare center, while Jim and Carol walked slowly towards Jim's apartment.

"Scotty was poking around that shuttle," Carol informed him as they walked. She was still holding onto his arm, but she had loosened her grip slightly, hoping no one was really paying too much attention as they wound through crowds towards the residence halls for enlisted officers. They had to be more careful around the Academy, now that they were in view of people who might not be as loyal as the Enterprise crew. The weeks since they had docked had been difficult, as they weren't used to having to censor themselves, but neither one wanted Carol's father to know about their relationship, and it could cause all kinds of issues with Jim, if someone wanted to accuse him of abusing his power with a subordinate. She didn't think that would happen, but Jim was more cautious – he hadn't told her much, but she was aware of some sort of power struggle within the Admiralty, and was smart enough to know that there were things above her paygrade that, while she might not have the clearance or the need to know, were still important and deserving of respect. When and if Jim could tell her more, he would.

With an almost regretful sigh, Carol unwound her hand from Jim's arm, and settled for walking as close as she could without tripping on him. "It was empty by the time it crashed, so he said he wanted to see if there was any clue to where whoever was in it went. Said he'd let you know if he finds anything."

Jim nodded, relieved to hear that the Scotsman was on it. If anyone could figure out where Harrison had gone, it was his brilliant Chief Engineer.

Carol looked up at him worriedly. "Can you talk about what's going on? I'm assuming this is related to the bombing in London, but details are very sketchy. No one's releasing any information to the public yet."

Jim sighed as they reached his building and he keyed the code to enter. "I don't think I can share everything right now, but it is connected. As soon as we know more, I'll tell you, all right?"

Carol nodded, squeezing his arm reassuringly. "Of course."

They quickly entered Jim's apartment and barely managed to find the strength to remove their dirty uniforms before collapsing onto the bed, asleep.

XXX

Jim's comm. woke him far too early, though when he looked at it, blinking the sleep from his eyes, he saw that it was actually nearly time for him to wake up anyway. He quickly got out of bed and moved to the other room, so that he wouldn't wake Carol up.

It was Scotty, telling him that he had found something, and asking if Jim was available to meet.

Jim quickly promised to be there as soon as he got dressed, and hung up.

He moved around the bedroom quietly, putting on a clean uniform, before leaving a note for Carol so that she wouldn't worry, and heading across the campus to find Scotty.

The Engineer was quick to show him the device he had found in the wreck of the shuttle the day before. "It's a portable transwarp beaming device," he said grimly. His expression was set in an uncharacteristic scowl as he met Jim's suddenly startled gaze knowingly.

Jim bit his lip as he thought. He, Scotty, and Chekov had spent a lot of time working on their beaming theory, and as far as he was aware, it was still in the testing stage. No one outside the team should know about it, especially not an ex-Starfleet officer who would use it to escape after shooting up the Academy. And they hadn't even discussed making a portable device yet. It was still just an equation.

Or at least, it should be.

Jim let out a long sigh and forced himself to focus on the issue at hand. "Is it ours?"

Scotty scowled irately. "The base equation is, aye, but they've altered it. Obviously, they'd have had to; we hadn't begun to work on a portable device yet, Jim. It's not common knowledge either, outside the team. Theories like this stay in the testing phase for years, until they iron out all the bugs. Only the beta team should know about it."

Jim grimaced. Clearly someone had access to classified Starfleet data, and the means and motive to use it. He had a sudden thought hit him, and he almost forgot to breathe; when theyhad been ordered to Tarsus, Chris and Jon had told him that they thought the Enterprise had been given the mission for a reason, despite there being closer ships available. Jim knew that he had done a good job of erasing himself from Tarsus' history, and no one should know that he had been there. Should know being the operative words. Just like right now. No one should know about the equation they had developed, unless they had access to that classified intel. What if whoever had access could also somehow find out about him? And did whoever it was actually have access, or did they just know how to get around the security measures in place? Was all of this linked? There was no evidence right now to suggest a connection, but Jim had been through enough dangerous situations to know that that suspicion could and did save lives. After all, was it actually paranoia if they really were out to get you?

And the fact that someone was ferreting out classified intel without Starfleet's knowledge was a problem in and of itself. What else could these people have gotten their hands on? The sheer amount of intelligence that Starfleet hid behind encryption and firewalls could destroy countless planets and civilizations, lead to the deaths of millions or billions of people.

Jim shook his head slightly to bring himself back to the immediate task. The threads of conclusions and possibilities were all important, but right now they had a direct problem they needed to address. He'd think more about the what-ifs later. "Do you know where Harrison went?"

Scotty nodded, still serious. "Qo'nos."

Jim blinked, startled. "And it worked? That's twice as far as our calculations suggested."

Scotty grimaced and shrugged. "Not sure, but someone's taken our work and expanded on it. Like I said, the base equation is still the same, but it's not ours anymore. Someone studied it, figured out how to make it portable, and worked out how to increase the distance. The only people I know with that kind of juice is Starfleet Intelligence. But if they were working on it, why weren't we notified? That's something they should have told us."

Jim grit his teeth in annoyance. "Thanks, Scotty. I'll talk to the Admirals, and we'll go from there."

Scotty nodded and watched his friend leave, before he decided to go check on his ship. All right, he would share custody with Jim, but that beautiful lady was just as much his as she was her Captain's. He had a feeling that they would be getting orders soon, so he might as well make sure the Enterprise was ready when that call came.

XXX

Jim thought about going to Jon, but Admiral Marcus was heading up the investigation of Harrison, so he knew that he had to report to Carol's father. It would be deemed insubordination at the least, if he skipped over the Admiral and told someone else what Scotty had discovered first.

Marcus listened to the report, and nodded stoically. "Good work, Kirk. Your orders are to pursue the criminal and neutralize him."

Jim carefully kept his expression blank. "Sir, if we pursue Harrison to Klingon space, we'll be in violation of the treaty."

Marcus smiled, but it lacked any warmth. "I'm outfitting the Enterprise with a newly designed weapon. Amazingly accurate long-range torpedoes. They can reach Harrison from the edge of Klingon space." He seemed to sense Jim's hesitation, because his expression turned sour. "You have your orders, Captain Kirk. Dismissed."

Jim nodded quickly and left. The meeting had put a bitter taste in his mouth, so rather than return to his apartment, he quickly pulled out his comm. and sent a shipwide message to report for active duty in four hours, thankful that most of his crew had already returned to San Francisco to prepare for their departure in a couple of weeks.

That act done, he made his way down the hall to Jon's office.

The Admiral was in, and listened to Jim's concerns without interruption.

When he had finished, Jon sat back with a sigh. "Marcus isn't exactly the Admiral I'd most like to work with," he admitted. "I don't know if he's a bad egg or just an ass, but he's pretty firm in his resolve, and he tends to play fast and loose sometimes, if it'll get him what he wants." He pursed his lips and then decided to tell Jim everything. "I know bombing the Archives seemed strange to you, but the rumor is, Section 31 is housed there. And Marcus heads up Intelligence."

Jim let out a breath. "So probably not a coincidence, then?"

Jon shrugged. "I don't believe in coincidences. I just have no idea what his end game is, or what he's gotten himself into, and where this Harrison guy comes in." He shook his head. "Anyway, I don't want us to start a war, any more than you do. You can't refuse these missiles that he's arming you with – and it really annoys me that this is the first I've heard of them – but don't use them. Do you think you can capture Harrison quietly?"

Jim bit his lip, considering. "It won't be easy," he admitted. "If we cross into Klingon space, we're violating the treaty. I'll see if I can get a hold of K'Temoc. Unless he's back to spying on Romulans, he should still be on Qo'nos."

Jon frowned. "Do you think you can trust him?"

Jim grimaced. "I can't say for sure, but I don't think he'll stab me in the back, if that's what you're asking." He sighed. "I know there's a lot of tension between us and the Klingons, and a lot of hate. But I don't think they're all as ready to kill us all in our sleep as we like to think. Maybe some of them are just as tired of the bloodshed as we are."

Jon nodded slowly. "Well, I still don't trust them, but I do trust you. If you think you should contact him, then do it. I'm giving you authority over this mission, Jim. Use your own judgment."

Jim smiled slightly and stood up, rolling his shoulders to loosen up. "Thanks, Jon. I should go make sure the ship's ready for departure."

Jon inclined his head, and Jim quickly left the office, heading for the shuttle bay.

XXX

Spock, McCoy, Uhura, Sulu, Chekov, Carol, and April were all at the bay as well, planning to head up to the ship to start readying their departments, or in Carol's case, she didn't have anything better to do so she might as well get on board early; Jim joined them as they prepared to board a shuttle.

McCoy nearly growled as he caught sight of the Captain. "You were supposed to check in at the hospital."

Jim rolled his eyes and took a seat next to Carol. "I've had busy morning. I'm fine, Bones."

McCoy didn't listen to him, and spent most of the trip running a tricorder and noting every minor issue that was listed. Glancing up from the screen, he scowled at Jim's knowing smile. "Your blood pressure is elevated. And your blood sugar and iron levels are low. When was the last time you ate something?"

Jim tilted his head as he tried to remember, and looked up ruefully when he realized he had no idea.

McCoy nodded slightly. "I thought so," he muttered. "Damn insufferable fool."

April shook her head amusedly from her position in the row behind them, and reached over the seat to offer Jim a protein bar. She had learned to always have something to eat on her, just in case.

Jim took the offering willingly, though he really wasn't hungry. "Thanks," he mumbled, tearing off a piece unenthusiastically, and chewing slowly.

Under McCoy's watchful gaze, he managed to eat the entire bar. The Doctor's attitude only lightened when the food had been completely consumed. "Joanna's all right?" Jim asked curiously.

McCoy sighed, looking away now that he was convinced Jim wasn't actually dying on him. "Yeah. She's at the childcare center again. Everyone on the Enterprise who has kids and no family to look after them left them there. We decided it probably wasn't the best idea to bring them, considering what we're warping into. Speaking of, are you going to tell us what exactly is going on?"

All the communication had said was that they were pursuing the criminal responsible for bombing the Archive in London, and to be on the ship ready to depart in four hours. But that was enough to let everyone know that they should leave all the non-Starfleet people at home.

Jim grimaced and shook his head. "Not now," he said shortly, and his expression discouraged all of them from pushing him further. It was enough to know, though, that whatever it was, it was big.

They were silent the rest of the trip up, and separated as soon as they landed in the Enterprise's shuttle bay.

Jim brought Carol with him down to Engineering, since she had a specialization in advanced weapons, and he thought she might want to get a look at whatever her father had put on his ship.

Carol stopped the 'lift several decks away from Engineering, hoping to get a chance to talk to Jim before they got swept up in their own tasks. "Jim, I think I need to tell you something."

Jim frowned, confused, but gestured for her to continue. She did so, concisely sharing what she had learned about the mysterious project her father had been working on. "And when I went back to look later, I had been locked out of the files. Jim, I don't know what he's doing, but I'm concerned. Why would he block my access?"

Jim shook his head slightly, resting a hand comfortingly on her shoulder. "I don't know. We'll figure it out, Carol. Thanks for telling me."

Carol nodded shakily, and restarted the 'lift.

They entered the Engineering deck to see Scotty facing off against a man in standard Starfleet grays. The Scotsman's eyes lighted on Jim, and he relaxed slightly. "Jim, this man's tellin' me that he wants to put torpedoes in my Engineering deck. I cannae agree to this!"

Jim steeled himself for Scotty's disapproval, and focused on the unknown man. "I'll sign for the weapons, Lieutenant."

He did so, ignoring Scotty's continuing protests, and waited until the man had left, before he drew Scotty to an empty corner.

The Engineer was still ranting. "Those weapons could seriously damage the warp core if they're fired, I can't in good conscience approve of having them on board. Just like a Captain, never listening to those who know better –"

"That's enough, Lieutenant Commander Scott." Jim's voice cut sharply over Scotty's, and the man fell silent, his eyes widening slightly as he realized what he had just said. Over Jim's shoulder, he could see Carol watching them worriedly, before he refocused his attention on his superior.

Scotty gulped. "I'm –"

Jim again cut him off. "Mr. Scott, I know perfectly well the dangers of those torpedoes. I have no intention of using them, but I cannot deny the request to bring them aboard. These orders come directly from Admiral Marcus."

Scotty frowned, confused. "Sir…"

Jim sighed, and his posture relaxed slightly. "Do you trust me, Scotty?"

The Engineers response was immediate. "Of course."

Jim smiled minutely. "Then please trust that I know what I'm doing here. I promise, I have no intention of letting anything happen to our girl."

Scotty wavered. He didn't like having these weapons on board, but he couldn't deny Jim when the man looked him in the eye and asked him a question like that. Of course he trusted Jim with everything. There was obviously more going on than he was seeing, and he believed wholeheartedly in his Captain. He believed even more devoutly in his friend. After a few moments of silence, he nodded resignedly. "I can't say I like it, but very well."

Jim sighed wearily, understanding completely. Glancing back over his shoulder, he jerked his head slightly, silently asking Carol to give them a moment alone. Carol obediently began running tests on the nearest torpedo, hoping to get an idea of what her father had been doing.

Jim turned back to Scotty. "I really get it," he promised. "I wish it wasn't necessary, but I have a bad feeling that it is. Just believe that I'm going to do everything in my power to get us through this." Scotty nodded, and Jim smiled. "In the meantime, work with Carol to see if you can find out what's going on with these weapons. I highly doubt they're simply long range torpedoes." He grinned ruefully. "I'm a big fan of Occam's razor and Murphy's law, even when the two seem to clash."

Scotty chuckled. The simplest answer is usually the correct one, and whatever can go wrong, will go wrong. It could be that these torpedoes were just torpedoes, but Jim – and Scotty – didn't trust their luck enough to trust in that possibility. "Will do."

Jim gripped his shoulder briefly in a grateful gesture, before making his way back to the 'lift, after a quick stop at Carol's side to tell her to stay in Engineering and work on the weapons.

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